Anti-backlash device for controlling yarn



June 25, 1957 o. F. SMETANA ANTI-BACKLASH DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING YARN Filed March 14, 1955.

2 Sheets-Sheet l l 4 l w fun R M n owwmmw J 5 2 P Y rm I m l l a v 3 Y a 2 H L' iMQE z a V Z 2 a June 25, 1957 o. F. SMETANA ANTI-BACKLASH DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING YARN Filed March 14, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. OTT F. SMETANA.

ATTORNEYS ANTI-BACKLASH DEVICE FQR CONTRQLLING YARN Otto F. Smetana, Charlotte, N. C., assignor to Philcord Corporation, Monroe, N. C., a corporation of North Carolina 7 Application March 14, 1955, Serial No. 494,190

8 Claims. (Cl. 242153) This invention generally relates to the art of controlling yarn and more particularly to a device for preventing backlash of lively yarns or so-called stretch yarns as such yarns pass from a package to web forming instrumentalities such as a knitting machine or the like.

The drawing of lively yarn or stretch yarn from packages and the feeding of the same to a knitting machine or other web forming instrumentalities presents numerous difficulties occasioned by the inherent characteristic of such yarn to twist and curl upon itself when in a relaxed state. -It is well known that some web forming instrumentalities such as knitting machines draw yarn from packages in intermittent steps and it has been found that lively yarns and the so-called stretch yarns have a tendency to curl up and twist upon themselves, forming knots and tangles therein during intervals between the yarn drawing steps of the web forming operation. 1

it is therefore an object of this invention to provide a device which will permit either or both lively yarn and so-called stretch yarn to be withdrawn from packages in an orderly fashion without danger of such yarn curling upon itself and causing knots and to insure that the yarn will be presented to the web forming instrumenta-lities in an orderly fashion.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a schematic side elevation showing the invention applied to .a full fashioned knitting machine;

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional plan view taken substantially along the line 2--2 in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view through the upper part of the left-hand portion of Figure 1 and showing the ring in raised position;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 but showing the ring in lowered or clamping position;

Figure 5 is a view showing a modified form of the invention;

Figure 6 is a sectional plan View taken substantially along the line 6-6 in Figure 5;!

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view through the upper left-hand portion of Figure 5 and showing the ring in lowered or clamping position:

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7 but showing the ring in raised position.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, it will be observed that each form of the improved yarn control device of the present invention is shown in association with a device which withdraws yarn from a package, which device is embodied in a set of web forming instrumem talities such as a knitting machine broadly indicated at 10. The knitting machine 10 in Figure 1 includes a fixed member 11 to which a bracket or platform 12 is suitably secured and a plurality of yarn package supports 13, only one of which is shown, are suitably secured to the bracket 12 as by bolts or screws 14.

Each yam package support 13 is provided with a reatent Patented June 25, 1957 duced upper portion 15 centrally located thereon and which extends upwardly from the package support 1 3 for the reception of the lower end of the tubular core or yarn holder 16 of a yarn package P. The core 16 is frictionally confined on the reduced portion 15 of the support 13 and yarn Y is suitably wound on the core 16. The core or yarn holder 16 of the package P disclosed in Figures 1 through 4 is in the form of a tubular cone, the upper end of which is curled inwardly as indicated at 20 and it is with this type of package that the form of the invention shown in Figures 1 through 4 is particularly adapted to be associated.

The invention comprises novel means for controlling the yarn as it passes from the package P to the web forming instrumentalities and also includes novel means for attaching the control mechanism to the cone of a yarn package. The novel means for controlling the passage of yarn Y includes an upright post or staff member 21 provided at its upper end with an annular flange or boss 22. The post 21 is loosely surrounded by and guides a floating clamp ring 23 confined on the post 21 by the boss 22 and by a support or base member 24 releasably connected to the lower end of the post 21, as by a screw 25. The flange 22 is preferably removably secured to the post 21 in order to facilitate replacement of the ring 23 on the post 21.

As most clearly shown in Figures 3 and 4, the base member 24 is supported by the upper edge of the cone 16 and, in order to prevent the yarn Y from passing over the rough edges of the base member 24-, there is provided an inverted cup-like cap 26 having a centrally dis posed opening 27 in the upper surface thereof of suflicient size to permit the ring 23 to freely pass therethrough. The opening 27 forms a well in which the lower portion of the post '21 is positioned and the opening 27 also forms an annular shoulder above the base 24. The cap 26 has an internally tapered circular side wall substantially conforming to the configuration of the upper end of the cone 16 and the side wallof the cap 26 is adapted to snugly engage the outer surface of the upper end portion of the cone 16 in such a manner that the post 21 extends upwardly through the opening 27 in the cap 26. V

The screw 25, which serves to releasably connect the base member 24 to the post 21, also serves to connect a pair of interconnected leaf spring members or springpressed detents 2 9 and 30 to the lower end of the post 21. The spring-pressed detents 29 and 30 frictionally engage the inner surface of the inturned portion 20 on the cone 16 in the manner illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 and thus serve to 'releasably hold the entire assembly on the upper end of the cone 16.

In operation, the free end of the yarn Y is drawn from the upper end of the package P and passes over the cap 26 and under the ring 23 ISO the yarn Y passes between the inner surface of the ring 23 and the post 21. The yarn Y then makes a half revolution, more or less, about the post 21, engages the annular flange 22 on the top of the post 21 and passes upwardly over a conventional guide means, shown as a rod 31, disposed above and in substantially axial alinement with the post 21. The yarn Y then passes through a conventional tension device broadly indicated at 32 which is disposed between the guide rod 31 and the web forming instrumentalities 10.

The conventional tension device 32 includes a substantially I-shaped frame having upper and lower flange portions 33 and 34 connected to the respective upper and lower ends of a web portion 35. Opposite ends of the upper flange portion 33 have depending portions 36 and 37 thereon in which eyelets or yarn guiding eyes 40, 41, respectively, are positioned. The web portion also has an eye 45 therein for guiding the yarn Y between the active rings 44. The upper and lower flange portions 33 and 34 support relatively small pins 42 and 43 on which relatively light-Weight rings 44 are loosely mounted. In this instance, the yarn Y is tensioned by two rings 44 under which the yarn passes during the passage of the yarn through the eyelets 40 and 41.

The yarn then passes downwardly directly to a yarn carrier 46 of conventional construction on a full fashioned knitting machine. The yarn carrier 46 is oscillated in the usual manner on a.bar.46a and its lower end terminates adjacent the usual sinkers and dividers 47 and 48 which cooperate with needles 49 for forming the fabric blank or web B. p 7

In order to further assist in controlling the yarn Y as it passes from the package P to the knitting machine 10, the post 21, its boss or flange 22, the ring 23 and the cap 26 are all preferably formed from a ceramic material or a suitable plastic such as are known by the trade names Lucite, Alsimag, Bakelite, and the'like capable of being formed with smooth surfaces. If desired, a molded or pressed fiber may also be employed in these parts.

Modified form of invention Referring now to Figures through 8, there will be observed a modified form of the invention which is similar to that form of the invention heretofore described and wherein like parts will bear like reference characters with the prime notation added. r It will be noted in Figures 5 through 8 that the yarn control device is shown in association with a core in the form of a straight tube or spool 55 upon which lively yarn or so-called stretch yarn is wound in the conventional manner to form a package P. Since the tube or spool 55 is not tapered and is not provided with an inturned portion adjacent its upper end, such as that indicated at 20 on the yarn cone 16 shown in Figures 3 and 4, another means is provided for removably attaching the yarn control device to the tube or spool, such as is indicated at 55 in Figures 5 through 8.

To this end, there is provided an inverted substantially u-shaped leaf spring member which forms a pair of spring-pressed detents 56 and 57 which are substantially longer than the detents 29 and 30, and which detents 56 and 57 are interconnected at their upper ends as by a web portion 58. The web 58 is loosely penetrated by a screw 25 threaded in the lower end of the post 21'. The relatively long spring-pressed detents 56 and 57 extend downwardlya substantial distance within the spool or tube 55 and frictionally engage the inner surface thereof to maintain the yarn control device in position on the upper edge of the spool 55.

The screw 25' which serves to connect the springpressed detents 56 and 57 to the post 21, also loosely penetrates a cap 60 which is similar to the cap 26 but is preferably of slightly different configuration in view of the fact that the straight side walls of the tube or spool 55 do not provide a surface which will retain the cap shown at 26. Also, the cap 60 is of greater diameter than the external diameter of the tube 55 to serve as a flange for guiding the yarn Y. The cap 60 is provided With a circular cavity or well 61 in the upper surface thereof, said cavity 61 being of suflicient size to permit the ring 23 to float freely therein.

-It will be noted in Figures 3 and 8 that the rings 23, 23", in both forms of the invention, will ride upwardly about the respective posts 21, 21' when the yarn Y or Y is being pulled from the package during each yarn drawing step of the web forming instrumentalities. Between the yarn drawing steps of the web forming instrumentalities, the rings 23, 23' will rest upon the base member 24 in Figure 4 and the cap 60 in Figure 7, respectively, thereby lightly clamping the yarn Y and preventing the same from ballooning about the package. 3

It is thus seen that there is provided an improved yarn control device which may be readily installed and removed from conventional yarn packages and which insures that lively yarn or stretch yarn may be presneted to web forming instrumentalities in an orderly fashion. In actual practice it has been found that the guide post for the clamping ring, in each form of the invention, and the corresponding boss on the upper end of each post may be made from a suitable metal, with satisfactory results such as aluminum alloy.

The clamping rings should be of such internal diameter as to loosely float on the corresponding posts and the external diameters of the rings relative to the internal diameters of the wells in the corresponding caps should be such as to cause the yarn to extend at a relatively sharp angle between the upper edge of each well and the lower surface of the corresponding ring when the yarn is sufficiently slackened to permit the ring to rest against the bottom of the corresponding well.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only, and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for preventing backlash in yarn as it is Withdrawn from a yarn package and wherein said yarn package includes a tubular core about which yarn is wound, said apparatus comprising a base, means to secure said base to the upper end of said core, a post extending upwardly from said base, an inverted cup-like cap having an annular wall snugly encircling the upper end of said core and having an opening in its upper end of substantially greater dimensions than said post, and a ring loosely encircling said post and being of substantially lesser external dimension than the internal dimension of the wall of the opening in said inverted cup-like member whereby said yarn extends upwardly from the package, over said cup-like member and under and then upwardly within said ring at it is withdrawn, and whereby relaxing of the yarn will permit the ring to drop into said opening to clamp the yarn against said base to prevent slackening of the yarn between the ring and the package.

' 2. A structure according to claim 1 wherein said core is in the form of a cone and at least the inner surface of said cup-like cap being tapered to conform substantially to the taper of said cone to thereby frictionally support the cap member on the upper end of the cone.

3. A structure according to claim 1 wherein said post has an enlarged flange portion on the upper end thereof for restricting upward movement of said ring.

4. Apparatus for preventing backlash in yarn as it is withdrawn from a yarn package and wherein said yarn package is in the form of a substantially rigid upright core having yarn wound thereon, said apparatus comprising a cap removably secured to the upper end of said core and having a substantially centrally disposed recess forming a well in its upper surface, a post secured to the bottom of said well and extending upwardly therefrom, a clamp ring loosely encircling said post and being of substantially lesser outside dimension than the inside dimension of said well whereby said yarn extends from the package, over the cap, beneath said ring and upwardly through said ring as it is withdrawn and relaxing of the yarn will permit the ringto fall by gravity against the bottom of said well to clamp the yarn thereagainst and to prevent relaxing of the yarn between the clamping ring and the yarn package.

5, A structure according to claim 4 wherein at least a portion of said cap is of substantially greater diameter than the diameter of the upper end of said core.

, 6. A structure according to claim 4 wherein said core is in the form of a tubular member, said cap being removably secured to the upper end of said core by means of a pair of outwardly biased detents fixed to the lower surface of said cap and being adapted to resiliently bear against substantially diametrically opposed portions of the inner surface of said tubular core.

7. A structure according to claim 4 wherein said post has an enlarged flange portion on the upper end thereof for restricting upward movement of said ring.

8. Apparatus for preventing backlash in yarn withdrawn upwardly and substantially axially from a yarn carrier comprising support means, means to attach the support means to the upper end of said yarn carrier, a post fixed to said support means, means on the support means forming a stationary annular shoulder encircling said post above the level of the lower end of the post and defining a well in said support means, at least one relatively light-weight ring loosely encircling said post,

and said annular shoulder being of substantially greater internal diameter than the external diameter of said ring whereby the yarn passes over said support means and is UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,285,733 Martel June 9, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS 659,027 France Jan. 29, 1929 1,006,395 France Jan. 23, 1952 

